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#MyCricketMoment – what’s yours?

#MyCricketMoment – what’s yours?

Cricket is a funny sport. You could be struggling at 122-8 with just over half a day completed and find yourself on the winning side by day 5 with sheer perseverance. You could find yourself at the home of cricket crying tears of joy after winning a World Cup on a super over and only 15 days later find your team bowled out for 85 in the first innings of a test match at the very same venue.

Despite the chaos of emotions that us cricket fans are put through, there is always a beautiful story behind why we find comfort amongst this chaos. The team at BatFast has been reminiscing about the moments that made us fall in love with this sport. Read ahead to learn about the moments of inspiration that have led us to this journey with BatFast.

Steve Denison, Former Chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club

“My love affair with cricket began not with an expensive bat on a regulation pitch or even makeshift wickets on a street corner, but at Headingley and on TV in the 1970s. One of my most vivid early memories is of watching Test Matches and the Sunday League and, as well as falling for my home country of Yorkshire, also quietly supporting Somerset. They had a magnificent team packed full of superstars including our own Brian Close, Viv Richards, Ian Botham and Big Bird Joel Garner, all 6ft 8 inches of him. I got the chance to meet Joel a couple of years ago, it was one of the few times I’ve been genuinely star-struck.”

Jemima Bird, Chief Marketing Officer

My first recollection of cricket was when I was a child, I’d have a habit of walking in front of the TV just as a wicket fell – if you know Test cricket from the 1970s and 80’s a wicket fall was not as frequent as now! My dad would sigh, and then just get back to watching the game! The background to my childhood has therefore just been cricket. I remember vividly in my late teens and early 20’s just falling in love with the radio commentary – it got me through revision times at university, the gentle hum and rhythm of the commentary.

In my late 20’s I started going to England international’s and the love affair was complete. There’s nothing as special as a Day 1 of a Test Match – the anticipation, the singing of Jerusalem, the teams walking out onto the field of play. It’s mesmerising. I love everything about it, the strategy, the tactics, the runs, the wickets, the chase… for me it’s intoxicating, a place where I can lose everything that’s happening in my life and just watch something beautiful unfold in front of me.

Jack Roddick, Head of Events

“It was the 2nd of September 2017, Alrewas CC 2XI vs Breadsall CC 2XI, – I hit my highest score of 116 for my local cricket club at the age of 22. That season I was working a majority of weekends with BatFast during the events season and managed to play 2 games with no training. The feeling of going back to my home ground and raising my bat in front of my teammates and father is something that will last with me forever.”

Srinishanth Nalagandla, Sales – India

“My earliest memory of a cricket game is from the 2001 India v Australia Test match at Eden Gardens when Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman sent the whole country into a frenzy scoring 180 and 281 respectively to take India to a potentially winning position from the jaws of defeat. This is the game that made me fall in love with not only cricket but the aura of sports on the whole. My parents often tell me that I was always up quite early, at 4 am to accompany my grandad while he watched India on their tour down-under in early 2000, when I was only 3 years old. Cricket always brought my family together, much like most families in India.”

Jason Smith, Marketing Manager

“My first retirement. 30 not out. That feeling of timing one through the covers never got old. Granted the pitch was small, but I felt like a giant dancing down the crease making those fielders chase leather in 30-degree heat. Playing with the boys I grew up with, now, of course, lifelong friends. We created some serious memories, county cup winners, league winners. The lot.”

Joe James, Operations

“I remember playing on the drive at my grandparent’s house when I was just a wee lad! My granddad would bowl underarm leg-spin to me and my brother (he had arthritis so couldn’t lift up his arms far). Thought it was quite touching given the fact he could hardly move but that wouldn’t get in the way of him playing cricket on the drive with his grandsons.”

David Snow, Business Analyst

“My first vivid cricket memory is from 10 years ago when I was 10 years old. It was the 2009 Ashes, first test at Cardiff when England was staring at defeat on day 5. It was the two unlikely heroes, Monty Panesar and James Anderson that saw out the last session to earn us a draw.

From that exciting and dramatic first test, I watched the rest of the Ashes where England went on to win and this inspired me to get into cricket. The England bowling attack of Anderson and Broad along with Graeme Swann were a joy to watch. The first 10 years of my life, I did not follow cricket at all, but it was the test match at Cardiff that kick-started my journey to BatFast today.”

Joe Tolson, Commercial Manager

“My first cricketing memory is playing one bounce-one hand in the cricket nets with my mates when I was younger. We used to have one player batting and another to bowl, while 4-5 players would be in the nets as fielders. We’d rotate batsmen for every wicket and continue to play for about 2-3 hours at a time. I think it was a format that kept us entertained for hours and was great fun to play alongside my mates.”

Well, you’ve read it all. In front of the television, on the cricket pitch with a bat in hand, the influence of family and friends or wrapped-up versions of the game – it only takes a few tiny moments to inspire people to take up cricket.

The BatFast team is working tirelessly to make cricket more accessible to people around the world with the hope that it could lead to a spark in someone to pick up the sport. After all, it only takes a little spark to light a fire, doesn’t it? Why not share your story with us?

Share the cricketing moment from your life that made you fall in love with the sport. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #MyCricketMoment.